SUTD Academy, the Singapore University of Technology and
Design’s (SUTD) adult learning institution, provides skills-based professional
education and training courses for entry-level jobseekers, mid-career
professionals, executives and senior managers.
Recently, SUTD Academy has
launched the ModularMasters (MM) programme in Cybersecurity. The
programme was developed as part of the SkillsFuture Series, supported by SkillsFuture
Singapore, which aims to help working adults grow skills in emerging
skills areas which are required across different sectors.
“SUTD Academy wanted
to provide more flexible options and opportunities for working individuals and
adults to upskill or reskill themselves. Hence, we came up with the idea of the
ModularMasters, which allows participants to stack up short modules that they
take up either out of interest or for reskilling purposes, and eventually allow
them to obtain a certificate. Participants can also choose to pursue their
interests further by going for the full master degree subsequently,” said Professor
Pey Kin Leong, SUTD’s Associate Provost of Education, SUTD Academy and Digital
Learning.
“We believe this will encourage them to continually upskill
or reskill themselves to keep pace with the rapidly changing requirements of
the workplace and help them stay relevant in today’s knowledge-intensive and
technology-driven economy.”
MM programme allows adult learners to take up bite-sized
skills-based modular courses (SBMC) that carry credits and earn an MM
certificate. The MM in Cybersecurity will be the first MM programme launched by
SUTD Academy.
SUTD Academy has also partnered Temasek Polytechnic to develop
transferable SBMCs that can contribute to the MM certificate in Cybersecurity. This
means that students taking recognised modules from Temasek Polytechnic or other
educational institutions can transfer over a set number of subject credits to
SUTD Academy if they wish to earn an MM certificate in Cybersecurity which requires
60 subject credits.
“TP is pleased to partner SUTD for our modular courses to be
stacked to SUTD ModularMasters certificate in Cybersecurity. Our students will
have the opportunity to further upgrade themselves at SUTD due to the benefit
that courses can be stackable across all our Institutes of Higher Learning. TP
will continue to work with SUTD and other AUs for such recognition and
stackability to their programmes,” said Temasek Polytechnic (TP)’s Director of
Temasek SkillsFuture Academy Mr John Leong.
According to the press release, SUTD Academy is also
building a pathway to allow adult learners who wish to further develop their
knowledge in cybersecurity to apply to SUTD to pursue the full Master
of Science in Security by Design (MSSD) degree by passing an
entrance assessment examination and meeting other entry requirements subject to
SUTD’s admission criteria for the MSSD.
Upon admissions, they can use the MM in Cybersecurity
certificate to offset subject credits from the MSSD programme. This stackable
modular approach creates flexibility for time-constrained PMETs/working adult
learners so that they can take the MM modules based on their more immediate
learning/developmental or reskilling and upskilling needs, and if interested,
pursue a full Master degree subsequently.
The MM programme will be design-focused and hands-on. Capped
at 20 to 25 students per instructor, the modules and courses will be technical
in nature and some basic scientific/technical knowledge will be expected of
participants.
Other new MM programmes in the pipeline include one each in
data analytics, AI and design innovations. SkillsFuture Credit can also be used
to off-set course fees for these programmes.
Under SUTD Academy’s SkillsFuture series, courses
offered aim to ensure Singaporeans stay relevant in the future economy. These
short and industry-relevant courses focused on equipping Singaporeans with
emerging skills in areas such as Data
Analytics, Tech-Enabled
Services, Digital Media, Advanced Manufacturing, Cybersecurity,
Urban Solutions, Entrepreneurship and
Finance.